For the longest time, scientists thought of microbes as organisms of disease and decay; classified as a rubric of pathogens. While a number of pathogenic microbes exist, there are far more beneficial microbes essential for human existence. We can actually thank these microscopic particles for our very being on planet Earth.

If it wasn't for bacteria, we wouldn't be here today. They are so versatile in their ability to divide and genetically mutate. And this is how life formed in the first place. Microbes are everywhere: in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the entire animal kingdom.

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The trillions of microorganisms that are within our bodies make up our microbiota- a mini-ecosystem working symbiotically to help protect and promote our overall health. These organisms are essential for how we digest food, rid of foreign invaders and waste materials, and even produce specific vitamins and minerals.

It wasn't until sometime in the 20th century when this misconception was reversed. More good has come from microbes than bad, but this was simply hard to swallow for microbiologists at the time. Bacteriology research was always controversial, but finally the good began to prevail.

Now we know more than ever about microorganisms but still not enough. It is likely that more than 99% of all microbes that exist have not yet been discovered. Many that will be discovered won't even be able to be cultured or sequenced in a lab.

This realm of science will always need to be explored because microbes are extremely intelligent. While the good outweigh the bad, there are still a number of infectious diseases becoming resistant to antibiotic treatment methods. This poses an enormous threat to public health, thus research regarding antibiotic resistance must remain on the forefront of medicine.

Newer classes of bacteria like malacidins may be an answer in short-term, but what about the long-term genetic variances that bacteria present?

Will phage therapy be an answer or is something else brewing in the wind?